Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

For those who have missed my pre-announcement on the 'Group Project' thread I have copied some of the words I wrote there and added the information you will need.

Weeks and weeks ago I started an one-woman project in the SotD: is it possible for me to wear Lutens and nothing but Lutens for a whole week.
'Piece of cake', I thought, loving Lutens very much.
But after six days I had to throw in the towel and admit that I am an unfaithful woman when it comes to perfumes

Now the lovely Lady in Black has volunteered to again perform this experiment together with me.

Our Lutens' Week will start on Saturday 13 January!!!

Lady in Black and I will be wearing exactly the same scent on the same day. If we are in the mood for it or not

If it is really unavoidable we are allowed to 'change' into another Lutens scent during that day. We will post that scent as well later on (same day or next day) with an explanation.

All other participants can wear whatever Lutens they wish; layer, change......as long as it is.....Lutens. Absolutely no other scent is allowed. Don't worry when you don't have seven different Lutens'. Even with one you can join. It only means you will have to wear that scent for seven whole days

There is also a somewhat 'scientific' curiosity that makes this experiment appealing to me. Almost every Lutens scent is designed by Christopher Sheldrake.
Is it possible to tell after seven days if they have a certain 'base' in common? Something Sheldrake always uses in his scents? Are we capable to discover it if it is there? (thinking of something similar to the 'Guerlinade')

Well, after this week we will know, I hope

Introducing the members who have already agreed to participate: BrothaG, Coconut, ComDiva, Goddess_Dreams, Lievje, Rtamara41, Shadesofbleu and Taolady.And I hope more will join *looking at the men's board*. Hey guys, your expertise is greatly appreciated!!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is going to be fun!

Rtamara, dear, would you please be so kind and post that steamy mini-novel about Lutens on this thread again?
As I said: FUN :bounce:

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Well,Iam among those who have been showing signs of eagerness! In order to be prepared for our Lutens experiment, I have been fasting, i.e. have avoided wearing Serge for a while and I am craving him now. Will I feel the same after the third or fourth solo-Lutens day? Nice to see you joining, Julia7! You have the Saturday and the Tuesday Lutens, so you may wear them on the same day we shall be wearing them .

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Sniffing aroundI'll stop wearing black when they make something darker

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Oh, great!! All these enthusiastic posts

For those who worry about their SotD: no problem at all. Just post on SotD and here.
Several members are posting their SotD on the Female as well as on the Male
Fragrance Discussion, so I see no problem.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Hi Riannon, thanks for the opportunity to share in Lutens with all of you . Great idea and one that I think, will be a lot of fun.

Today is my last official day of wearing the same scent as my dearest and although it was a lot of fun; it was quite limiting and that drove me nuts on some days when I REALLY wanted to wear something else, and he's already applied something 'half awake', even after a shower, (he's a big sleepy-head) without consulting me first .

Unfortunately, I will not be able to follow your schedule as I do not own many of the Luntens you’ve listed, but I’ll gladly join in with the following: Datura Noir, Fleurs d'oranger, Chergui, Daim Blond, Cèdre, Arabie, Bois Vanille, (Miel de Bois, Douce Amère (maybe)).

Last edited by Goddess_Dreams; 8th January 2007 at 01:48 PM.

"Of the five senses, the sense of smell is incontestably the one that best conveys a sense of immortality."

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Here is my menu for the feast:
Chergui
Douce Amere
Fleurs De Citronnier
Datura Noir
Santal Blanc
These ones would be my tester size to shuffle: Gris Clair, Daim Blond, Arabie and Fleurs d'Oranger...
A BIG thank you to HackerX for allowing me to try Muscs Koublaï Khän, Chypre Rouge and Borneo 1834.
(Looks like I will spend the next few days using other houses... )

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

I'll TRY to join (if I don't forget), but it will be hard cause I've only two Lutenses, Fumerie Turque and Gris Clair and a sample of Daim Blonde.
So I will have to wear one for two days. Now I think of it, that shouldn't be a problem at all.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

At Riannon's request, here is my Serge interlude from Friday. I am sure this week will be just the thing to set things right between us again...
************************************************** ****
He grabbed a handful of my hair firmly in his strong manly hands and pulled my head back, exposing my neck.
"So, you've been seeing Frederic, have you? Sampling? Savoring? Experimenting? Lost in BLIIIIISSSSSS?
What about US?
What about what WE had?"
Serge locked his eyes with mine, looking deeply into my soul. He reached up and stroked my cheek in that tender way of his, eyes smoldering, promising, oh, oh , OH -!
Weakly , my hand reached for the near empty vial of GRIS CLAIR, knocking aside the vials of Carnal Flower and Musc Ravageur, that lay willy nilly on my dresser from the night before.
Instantly, I was surrounded in a seductive cloud of lavender, swept off my feet, once again.

Have a good day. I know I will.

"Like a lobster with a pearl in its claw, the beet held the jasmine firmly without crushing or obscuring it. Beet lifted jasmine, the way a bullnecked partner lifts a ballerina, and the pair came on stage on citron's fluty cue. As if jasmine were a collection of beautiful paintings, beet hung it in the galleries of the nose, insured it against fire or theft, threw a party to celebrate it. Citron mailed the invitations." Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins p. 189

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

I may try to get my hands on some samples this week from Aedes...
I am interested in Bois Vanille , Sa Majeste La Rose, and Daim Blonde.
But I will make do with my five in any case...I can rotate...flower, incense, amber, spice, flower, incense, amber...

This will be a love fest for sure.

"Like a lobster with a pearl in its claw, the beet held the jasmine firmly without crushing or obscuring it. Beet lifted jasmine, the way a bullnecked partner lifts a ballerina, and the pair came on stage on citron's fluty cue. As if jasmine were a collection of beautiful paintings, beet hung it in the galleries of the nose, insured it against fire or theft, threw a party to celebrate it. Citron mailed the invitations." Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins p. 189

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

I love Lutens, surely I do! Full and partial bottles of Ambre Sultan, Daim Blond, Arabie, Fleurs D'Oranger, Cedre and Chergui can attest to that. Not to mention the precious mini / decants / samples of A La Nuit, Santal Blanc, Sa Majeste de Rose, Miel de Bois, Bois de Violette, Mandarine Mandarin, Fumerie Turque (I need more of this), Un Bois Vanille, Un Lys, and Douce Amere... Then there is the fact that I am desperately getting my finances in order so that I may easily afford the Rousse and 'almond' releases due this year. Yes, my love is true!

But.

It will be a very cold day in Hell before I would even consider dedicating 7 consecutive days - 168 hours! to wearing only Lutens scents.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

This is going to be fabulous! And it couldn't have come at a better time for me... Just last week, a friend of mine with family in Paris returned from a visit there, and had remembered my long-ago requests for Encens et Lavande and Un Bois Sepia! Requisite samples, too.

So I am good and broke, but ready for our sampling with full or partial bottles of:

Cedre
Encens et Lavande
Un Bois Sepia

And sample vials or small decants of:

Chergui
Daim Blond
Datura Noir
Ambre Sultan
A La Nuit
Borneo 1834

I'll join in on the "wear it in common" days that I can, and will have a few days to digress (while staying faithful to Serge, of course). Meanwhile, steering clear of my Lutens 'til Saturday, to build up the antici.........pation!

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Saturday - Chergui
Sunday - Bois des Violettes
Monday - Douce Amere
Tuesday - Fumerie Turque
Wednesday - A la Nuit
Thursday - Rahat Loukhoum
Friday - (leaving early for a week in the mountains - don't know HOW early but WILL post - have Cedre, Datura Noir, and Clair de Musc samples - don't know how much of each - so it will be a SURPRISE!!!

And such fun!! :bounce:

"The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering."Lao Tze

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

OK, I'm sort of making a list of samples, decants, and bottles of Serge in my possession, and I could do this for almost 3 weeks! One week will be cake ... the hard part is how to decide which 7 SL scents to use. Hmmmm ... should I wear my most-loved, that I wear all the time anyway ... or wear some of the lesser known (at least to my nose) ... or even some of the more difficult-for-me-to-wear ones??? I have to think on this ...

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Originally Posted by Riannon

Moondeva, you just broke my heart

Such a lovely collection and not answering the challenge. Any change of persueding you?

Oh I am so sorry Riannon - I truly did not mean to cause pain or disappointment. It is an amazing event that I would actually love to participate in - but I would be setting myself up for failure if I said that I would commit to it.

My problem is that though I have a large appetite for perfumes I cannot gorge myself on one brand solely for any length of time. I could easily wear and report back on one or even two Serge Lutens beauties a day for the duration. That would be simple and fun. But to not be able to touch / wear / layer any of my other beautiful scents for those long days is quite frightening to me.

Serge Lutens is like New York style cheesecake to me - yummy, moreish, very very rich. I am greedy - I might eat one, two or even three slices over a two day period. Yes it is some thing I could gorge myself on. But eating that same cheesecake (even with different toppings) every day for every meal for a full week is positively nausea inducing...

I change / sample 2-4 perfumes a day depending on longevity - trust me, I would soon be gaga if I attempted this.

Is there anyone participating who own these scents and is willing to wear them?

I have samples with a few drops of Mandarine Mandarin, Bois et Fruits, Bois Oriental and Santal de Mysore. If there is nobody else with those scents I am willing to wear them as 'extra' scent but that would mean breaking my own rules from the beginning

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Originally Posted by shadesofbleu

I might be a touch confused, though ... is there a certain order to wear the frags in??

No, except LIB and I, you can all wear whatever Lutens you want whenever you want it. You don't have to follow our 'menu'. But....only a Lutens scent is allowed.
So, just wear what you have and feel comfortable in

And you can even wear three Lutens' scents on the same day, or layer them (are you listening, Moondeva?).
Maybe it will be difficult enough to strickly wear Lutens' scents for a whole week. But that was the whole idea of the experiment: can we do this?

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Not owning 7 different Lutens juices and not wanting to reuse the same scent two times in a week, I'll join this wonderful week at least for half for the first three days.
I'll be wearing then Miel de Bois, Chêne and my beloved Fumerie Turque.
Really nice proposal from you Riannon!

I am upping the ante and wearing my least favourite Lutens until the end when I will reward myself with Iris Silver Mist. This is not just masochism, however, I am hoping to discover some properties in my neglected Serges that I had overlooked before. Perhaps a forced focus on them with no chance of escape into something else will help me see them in a different light. Also I'm thinking that immersing myself in the Lutens "genre" will yield some pleasing revelations.
Or maybe, it is, indeed, just the insomnia.

Another belief of mine; that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

I feel that it's going to be a hard week. This last week, I didn't miss any of my Lutenses at all. I'm sure I will be craving for others during the week (Moondeva, I understand you); it's a very ambitious experiment!

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

I still can't decide which ones to wear when ... My first thought was to wear some samples that I don't normally wear, give some other Serges a chance. But, on the other hand, I would like to wear and discuss my favorites too.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Originally Posted by shadesofbleu

I still can't decide which ones to wear when ... My first thought was to wear some samples that I don't normally wear, give some other Serges a chance. But, on the other hand, I would like to wear and discuss my favorites too.

What is a girl to do???

A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, dearie!!:bounce:

You don't have to restrict yourself here! Maybe you can start the day with a comfortable favorite and try a nice sample in the afternoon? Wear what you like and post and discuss as much as you want

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

I have been awake since five in the morning in nervous anticipation
But now it is time to get this show on the road!! (and welcome, Malena, with your great list of beauties)

For Lady_in_Black and I this will be the LotD (Lutens of the Day):

Chergui

Chergui was created in 2001 by Christopher Sheldrake for the Exclusive Range, but was available for a short period in 2005 as a Limited Export Edition. And what an excellent choice that was!

It seems to be one of the best loved scents on this thread, so feel free to chime in

Sadly my nose has not fully recovered from the cold, so I had to use a more than generous dose to smell anything at all

But there is also memory. Memory of this warm and luxurious scent. Maybe imagination is helping me here, because I am able to smell faint whiffs of leather, amber and sandalwood. For today it is enough to know that I smell utterly delicious and I will apply and apply again until my nose surrenders and I can smell the full glory of this beauty

For those wanting to know the notes: dear LIB will reveal them to you.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Hi sweeties! I was SOOO looking forward to today and I am happy that

C H E R G U I

will be our first scent in this Lutens adventure.

The notes for this beauty (taken from Bela’s wonderful notepad): Honey, Musk, Leather, Incense, Tobacco leaf, Haysugar, Amber, Iris, Rose, Sandalwood. Chergui was my second Lutens purchase and was instant love. To this day, it survived all my likes and let-downs scent-wise, as if it were on a high shelf in my virtual perfume cabinet, the untouchable place reserved for HG stuff. The fragrance may well be named after a hot, dry Moroccan wind, but I do not imagine oriental landscapes when I wear it: I’m sitting in a wood panelled café, outside it’s ice cold but I’m wearing a snugly soft sweater, I chat with my best friend who lovingly embraces me, enjoying a cup of hot tea after a particularly hard day. Chergui’s opening has always reminded me of bitter, mint cream filled thin chocolates, like those one is supposed to eat after lunch, at least according to the brand name . The accord never leaves, but swiftly yields its place in the front row to an enticing leathery, subtly floral honey with an undercurrent of gently spiced, dry herbs, gloriously supported by the depth of amber and wood. Although it gives its best in fall and winter, its multiple facets revel in warm weather, if applied with a light hand.If it were a colour, Chergui would be the transparent, light golden yellow of a flame tip.I am so enjoying it right now.:bounce: Please join in with your impressions on Chergui or on any other Lutens you choose to wear today! :wave:

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Sniffing aroundI'll stop wearing black when they make something darker

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Well, I'm wearing Fumerie Turque today. While my sinusses are really clogged today (darn flu) I can still catch some sweetish, "rumlike" smells and it's really a soothing smell. I have to say I only have 2 Lutens, this one and Griss Clair.While Griss Clair is as save as can be for a man to wear, to work, or for a starting Lutens fan,this one is one I keep for personal enjoyement in weekends etc. only. It's opulent, warm, sweetish pipe tobacco I get mostly from it. This one, is also save for a man to wear, I think. There's a thread going on at the mens side about men wearing Lutens http://community.basenotes.net/showthread.php?t=191603

and although I understand the slightly anoyed reactions to this thread, I also can see where the hesitation for men to wear Lutens fragrances comes from.I work with a lot of men on a daily base, but if I knew a guy was wearing Lutens fragrances , I'd ask first if he was a visitor of Basenotes or..you know.
Totally unjustified, I know, but I think it's the aura that suround his fragrances, sophisticated ,opulent, oriental and let's be honest , looking at those fragile, thin bottles it's packaged,it's a line marketed slightly to the feminine customer. On a side note , looking at John Varvatos fragrances, which is made by the same company,Shiseido are also very Lutens like to me. Sweet, oriental but packaged in a real butch bottle and ..it's a hit!

Back to Fumerie Turque, it's a masterpiece. It's close to the skin, but it keeps on changing all the time from tobacco to rum and reverse. One of the few suitable for men to wear. Just my 2 cents.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

i´m wearing mandarine mandarin today...well, i´m not really sure what to think about it.
it´s a wonderful fragrance (like most Lutens creations) but i´m not so much into fruity scents that´s why i´ve some problems getting to like it.
what makes it wearable for me, though, is the oriental twist in it which saves it. it´s not light nor heavy, well actually it´s quite nice

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Originally Posted by BrothaG

Chergui for me as well today. So luscious, luxurious, lavish, lorgeous, lantastic, Lutens!!

Now plotting how to get me some of that Chergui....

However, for the kickoff of our wondrous week, I have lovingly applied the final drops of my sample vial of Gris Clair. I feel as if I am in a warm, lush cloak of lavender. Very comforting . Beautiful rather than pretty. Easy to wear, and easily unisex, imo.

Something about Gris Clair is very clear and clean, nearly pristine, and evokes the same energy I feel when viewing a Brancusi sculpture, or rather group of sculptures. There is a clean cut precise edge. (I have as of late been visualizing works of art that remind me of certain frags, or vice versa.)

Another aspect of Gris Clair is that there is a fabulous lushness about it.
Van Gogh's Cypresses painting comes to mind, with the thick, swirly curly deep green tree foliage, harmonious and deep.

I will try to seek out the specific notes online and post them here later in the day.

"Like a lobster with a pearl in its claw, the beet held the jasmine firmly without crushing or obscuring it. Beet lifted jasmine, the way a bullnecked partner lifts a ballerina, and the pair came on stage on citron's fluty cue. As if jasmine were a collection of beautiful paintings, beet hung it in the galleries of the nose, insured it against fire or theft, threw a party to celebrate it. Citron mailed the invitations." Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins p. 189

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Un Cedre (well, it anyway begins with a C. I wanted to do Chergui along with LIB and Riannon - always want to be part of the "in crowd" ! - but decants haven't arrived yet.)

So I spritzed on from the sample without first doing any research on notes etc. Whaaaat? Cedar? Nah! TUBEROSE!!! Did they put the wrong frag in this little grey sampler? But wait - amber? TOBACCO? Hunny? MOST un-woodsy but very snuggly. So then I run to OzMoz...

...which yields up only French. But Ah! What French! My "snuggly" is considered "arrogante". Obviously missed the cloves and cinnamon altogether at first but now these spices seem to be blending nicely with the amber/musc and I guess what seems like fresh tobacco leaf is "animalic" (I live in tobacco country so may have a different idea of what this note should be.)

Snuggly. And VERY what I have to come to think of as "Lutens" without really being able to categorize. Unexpected combos? Although tuberose and cedar don't seem so unlikely now that I (Serge) think of it......sort of Belgian tapestry...can there be a Unicorn lurking...(are you there Christine?)

I've been in Tabu and friends all week and so I'll be a nice change to spend the day in these woods.:bounce:

Later:WRONG-O on the sillage. Sailed into the flower shop where I work and my confrere (consoeur?) said "Oh you smell so good. Earthy - woodsy - fresh!"

Last edited by TaoLady; 13th January 2007 at 04:49 PM.

"The world is ruled by letting things take their course. It cannot be ruled by interfering."Lao Tze

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Well, I nearly had to bail out because a dreadful stomach-flu ("cruise ship syndrome") has been all through our town and my family and I were sick with it up until this afternoon, so smelling anything by SL (or any perfume at all for that matter) was just out of the question. But I am now on board with Fleurs de Citronnier (I own Chergui but that was just too heavy for me today, not to mention my pallid family). I love any neroli-based scent and this is no exception. The notes:
lemon tree blossoms, petitgrain, neroli, honey, tuberose, nutmeg, styrax, iris and musk

This one starts out less intense and dramatic than LV's Dilmun, but grows stronger over time, while Dilmun does the opposite, getting softer with time. The honey and nutmeg make this a classic SL, the neroli is warmed up with tuberose, so it is not at all a "fresh, spring" scent, more of a warm, comfy autumnal scent. The musk is subtle and and honey is very lightly done.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

13th Jan 07 - Chergui, Serge Lutens
I got up extremely late today at 3:30pm after a very serious hangover from 7 deadly drinks.
I got my Chergui on the 2nd Jan 07 . It was recommended to me by HackerX and it is truly bottle worthy for such a sensual scent.
It is dry, spicy and it is definately a time release sugarbomb, it gets better as it age on my skin and the changes of different layers of components is truly mesmerizing. I have read that it will change with the emotional state of the wearer which I unexpectedly discovered a few days ago. The first few times was very syrupy when I wore it, and sometime it gets very spicy.
Perhaps my olfactory sensor is not working too well today due to the hangover. I find my Chergui a bit dull , and lighter than usual but it seems more powdery than how I smell it during normal days.

I am going to have a good rest and continue with my Lutens' journey tomorrow.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Chergui for me as well at the start of our Lutens feast. Wow, there is so much going on here...

Took a look at the notes I made when I first tried this (fabulous eBay snag of sample vials of all (then) 35 of the SL frags!), and what came through at the time for me was primarily jammy notes and tobacco leaves, and I was also reminded a little bit of Pour Une Femme de Caron (rose, incense, musk, sandalwood) at stages of the dry down.

Today... I'm finding Chergui still starts out fairly sweet and a little powdery on me, but then the incense and woody notes pop up, albeit briefly, and finally it becomes almost all powdery amber. It's also staying quite light and close to the skin on me, which may have more to do with the fact that all I have is a tiny sample vial (even though I put more than half of it on this morning!) and my inability to spritz it rather than to actual lack of sillage. Unsure.

Some element or elements in here is also bringing Andy Tauer's gorgeous (and yes, newly expensive) L'Air du Desert Morocain to mind for me. Anyone else smelling that, and if so, what is it?!? For some reason, my nose was saying 'hay,' but I really have no idea. (Hmmmm... two scents named after exotic winds. Wonder if Andy was channeling Christopher Sheldrake?)

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Originally Posted by eric

Well, I'm wearing Fumerie Turque today....this one is one I keep for personal enjoyement in weekends etc. only. It's opulent, warm, sweetish pipe tobacco I get mostly from it. This one, is also save for a man to wear, I think...

I'm also wearing Fumerie Turque, and I'm experiencing it much the way eric describes, sweet, opulent smokiness. I think this would be fantastic on a man -- I can imagine catching a whiff of this in an out-of-the-way bookstore/cafe, the kind where the owner knows every volume on the shelves, with leather easy chairs by a roaring fire, an eclectic menu and an even more eclectic clientèle.

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Well, I'm planning to prepare a Mexican dinner, so Chergui is spice-inspiring indeed!
Put it on at 8:00 am and ten hours later I'm still happily drifting about in my Chergui aura - but I apply generously, at least six spritzes
So ComDiva, you're right, Chergui needs to be sprayed!
Eric, I read the Lutens thread on the boy's side - oh gosh, is there a bustle and hustle going on !

[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Sniffing aroundI'll stop wearing black when they make something darker

Re: Seven Days of Feasting on Lutens!

Originally Posted by Lady_in_Black

Eric, I read the Lutens thread on the boy's side - oh gosh, is there a bustle and hustle going on !

LOL! Testosteron and Lutens , who knows. Who cares really... I was merely backing up the threadstarter subject by taking an example out of my real life experiences about men wearing Lutens, in exactely the same words I posted here.